A Matter Of Opinion
by badly-knitted
Summary: Dee is proving inept at what Ryo considers simple tasks, bit he makes up for it in other ways. Set after Vol. 7.


**Title:** A Matter Of Opinion

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Ryo, Dee.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** After Vol. 7.

 **Summary:** Dee is proving inept at what Ryo considers simple tasks.

 **Word Count:** 836

 **Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee/Ryo, Piece of cake,' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Ryo gave an exasperated sigh. "Haven't you finished with those forms yet?"

"I'm gettin' there, just hold your horses. You know me and forms; I swear every time we get a new batch of these someone's switched everything around on them and I can't figure out what goes where!" Dee scowled at the standard booking forms in front of him.

"Oh, just give them to me. We'll be here all night otherwise. Honestly, I don't know why you always have to make such a meal out of them, they're so simple." Ryo reached across, snagged the forms, and filled them in himself. It took him less than five minutes. "There, you see? Piece of cake!"

"Easy for you to say. You're just better at paperwork than I am."

"Only because I get so much practice," Ryo grumbled as he gathered up all the forms and reports and took them to the Chief to be reviewed.

Dee put his jacket on, getting ready to head home now their shift was finally over. He did feel bad about Ryo having to take over the forms, but he'd honestly been trying to do them himself, it was just that he'd never been very good with forms. Somehow even the simplest ones always managed to confuse him.

"So," Ryo said, arriving back at their desks and picking up his own jacket, "Are you coming over for dinner tonight? I thought I'd do a stir fry."

"Do ya even have to ask?" Dee grinned. "Dinner at yours is so much better than a TV dinner for one."

"Sometimes I think you'd do anything if it meant you'd get fed," Ryo said with a smile.

"Try me," Dee winked.

Back at Ryo's apartment, Dee was happy to lend a hand in the kitchen, if it meant the food would be ready faster. Unfortunately, his skills left something to be desired; when he tried to emulate Ryo's dexterity at keeping everything cooking evenly in the pan, he almost succeeded in flipping half their dinner onto the floor. Luckily Ryo was there with a brilliant save.

"You're a menace, Dee Laytner," he chided with a laugh. "All you had to do was stir it a bit for a few minutes. It's a piece of cake, even Bikky can do it!"

Dee gave the spatula a death glare. "Not my fault, I don't think that thing is designed for left-handed use."

Ryo turned pensive. "Yeah, I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. "Still, no harm done. Looks like it's almost ready to eat."

"Good, I'm starving and it smells great!"

Dee helped wash up after dinner, which was something that he could at least get right, and that night he demonstrated a few more things he was very good at indeed. There certainly weren't any complaints coming from Ryo over that performance, despite the mess they made of the bed. They were too worn out to do more than roll onto a dry patch and sleep, but come morning, Ryo insisted on changing the sheets, with help from Dee.

Not that he turned out to be that helpful.

"You don't just shove the edges under like that, Dee!" Ryo chuckled at Dee's haphazard attempts. "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to do the corners properly?"

"Haven't you ever heard of fitted sheets? It saves a lot of fiddling, not to mention time."

"There's not much choice for a bed this size. Here, this is how it should be done." Ryo demonstrated as Dee watched. "There, piece of cake!"

Dee shook his head. "Face it, Ryo, you've just go a knack for this stuff that I don't. I'm startin' to get an inferiority complex."

"There are plenty of things you're better at than me though. Basketball for one."

"Well yeah, but that's just a matter of practice."

"So is everything else."

"I suppose. Come on, better get going or we'll be late for work."

At lunchtime, Dee offered to pick up something for them from the deli down the street while Ryo was writing the preliminary report on their latest case. "Anything in particular you fancy?"

"Mmm, one of those cheese and walnut salads if they've got it, otherwise ham and cheese." Ryo didn't even look up from his computer.

"You got it. I won't be long."

"Okay."

Fifteen minutes later, Dee was back at their desks. "Here ya go; one cheese and walnut salad for you, steak sandwich for me, and…" With a flourish, Dee set a box beside Ryo's keyboard.

Ryo frowned at it. "What's that?"

"Why don't ya look and see?"

Abandoning his report, Ryo turned in his chair and opened the box. There sat a truly decadent slice of the confectioner's art, all chocolate sponge, whipped cream, sprinkles, and dark chocolate curls. It looked delicious.

"Wow! What's this for?"

"You just seemed a bit confused lately so I thought I should set ya straight," smirked Dee. "That is a piece of cake!"

.

The End


End file.
